Henry waterson



(No Model.)

H'. WATERSON. HANDLE FOR VELOGIPBDES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY IVATERSON, OF ASTON, ENGLAND.

HANDLE FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,914, dated February3, 1891.

Application filed July 31, 1890. Serial No. 360,527. (No model.)Patented in France January 28, 1890, No. 203,404.

T0 all who/it it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IENRY IVATERSON,of Aston, England, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain, have invented certain new or ImprovedPneumatic or Air-Belfer IIandles or Grips for the Steering-Handle Bars,Brake- Levers, or other Parts o f Bicycles, Velocipedes, and otherCarriages, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in France, No.203,404, dated January 2S,,.1890;)`and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled iu the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention has for its obj ect to provide an elastic,compressible,l1ollow handle or grip for a bicycle or other wheeledvehicle, and to provide means whereby the hollow handle or grip will berestored Eto its normal bulged condition after being compressed by thehand and then released from pressure. To accomplish this object myinvention involves the features of construction, the combination orarrangement ,of parts, and the principles of operation herenafterdescribed and claimed.

I will describe and illustrate my invention in connection with a handleor grip for the steering-handle bar of a bicycle. I form the handle orgrip of vulcanized india-rubber and construct it of an inner cylindricaltube and an outer air-chamber, preferably of a bulbous or ellipsoidalfigure, surrounding the greater part of the said inner cylindricaltube,the ends of the air-chamber being closed. The internal diaineter ofthe inner cylindrical tube of the handle or grip is less than that 'ofthe handle-bar on which it is fixed, so that by drawing the said innercylinder upon the handle-bar it is so expanded that its elasticity bindsit firmly on the handle-bar; or'

the non-vibratory handle or grip may be used` without the continuousinternal cylindrical tube for gripping the handle-bar. In this case thebulbous or ellipsoidal vulcanized-india-rubber air-chamber orair-c'ushion has short cylindrical ends or collars, which are dra-wnuponand fixed to the handle-bar in any convenient way. A small air valve01' perforation may be used in the air chamber or cushion for infiatingthe same.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevaticn, and Fig.2 in longimodified handles or grips, asv hereinafter described.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

I will first describe the handle or grip represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 4.

c is the cylindrical handle-bar.

(Z is the inner cylindrical tube of the handle or grip, which is drawnupon the said handie-bar o, and c is the closed air-chamber orair-cushion surrounding the said inner cylindrical tube (Z, the saidcylindrical tube and air chamber or cushion being made of Vulcanizedindia-rubber, which is elastic and can be compressed by the hand, Whilethe contained air will restore the handle or grip to its normal bulgedcondition after being compressed by the hand and then released frompressure. The said air-chamber or air-cush ion e have the bulbous orellipsoidal figure represented, the diameter of the said chamber beinggreatest at its middle (see the section, Fig. 3) and diminishing as itapproaches the closed ends of the Chamber; but Ido not confine myself toany particular shape of the airchamber or air-cushion of the handle orgrip. The oontraction of the long continuous inner tube cl of'the handleor grip after it has been drawn upon the handle-bar c suffices to holdthe said handle or grip firmly upon the handle-bar. The said grip may,however, be further secured in its place by india-rubber or othercement.

I inflate the closed air Chamber or' cushion e, or produce the requiredpressure of air within it to sufiiciently resist the grip of the riderishand in the following way: At the middle and projecting on the innerside of the air-chamber e a block or thickened piece 82, ofindia-rubber, is made, as in the ordinary manufacture of inflatedindia-rubber articles.

Through this block or thickened piece 82 a.

fine hole or perforation is made, and into this hole the fine andpointed tubular nozzle of an air-syrnge is passed, and by working thesaid syringe the closed air-Chamber is inflated to the required degree.On. withdrawing the IOO ' or grips before described.

nozzle of the air-syringe from the fine hole in the block a? theelasticityor contraction of the said block closes air-tight the saidfine hole and the air-Chamber or air-cushion is preserved in itsinfiated state. By interposing between the hand of the rider and themetallic (or other) steering-bar c of the Velocipede the air-chamber o rair-cushion c the vibration or tremor of the velocipede is nottransmitted to the hand or is transmitted only to a limited extent. w

Fig. 5 represents in section a modified handle orl grip constructedaccording` to my invention. In this modification the outer part of thehandle has a bulbous figure, and its end is nearly closed, and theair-Chamber or ai r-cushion e is confined to the bulbous outer part, sothat while the air-Chamber part e of the handle is capable of a limitedyielding when gripped the inner or chamberless part is solid ornon-yielding. The rider can thus grip either the yielding ornon-yielding part of the handle, as he may require. The airchamber atthe outer part of the handle is inflatecl by passing the nozzle of anair-syringe through a fine hole in the block 82, as hereinbeforedescribed, and a hole cfi in the nearly-closed end of the handle permitsof the escape of air when the tubular part (Z is drawn onto the end ofthe handle-bar c.

Fig. 6 represents in elevation and Fig. 7in longitudinal section anon-vibratory handle or grip in which the inner cylindrical tube is)omittcd, and the vulcanizecl india-rubber air chamber or cushion hastubular ends 01' collars for fixing it to the handle-bar instead of acontinuous internal tube, as in the handles In this modified handle orgrip the bulbous or ellipsoidal air chamber or cushionfhas oylindricalends or collars g g, which arc drawn upon the handle-bar c and fastenedthereto, so as to close both ends of the handle or grip fand form thesaid handle or grip into an air chambe or cushion.

The fastening of the ends g g of the chamber f upon the handle-bar maybe effected by coiling fine Wire, catgut, or other cord around the saidends, as represented at h h, or by means of metallic clips or bands madeto encircle and bind the said ends of the Chamber upon the handle-bar.

In order the more efiiciently to bind the tubular ends g g upon thehandle-bar, the parts of the handle-bar on which the'tubular ends g gare fixed may be grooved or have a screW-thread -cut upon them, intowhich grooves or screw-thread the tubular ends are forced by the bindingWire or cord, as represented at '27, Fig. S.

Those parts of the handle-bar on which the tubular ends or collars g gfit may be coated with india-rubber cement, in order the moreeffectively to make the contact between the said tubular ends g g andhandle-bar airtight.

To prevent the possibility of failure in the action of the air Chamberor cushion f, a small automatic valve opening inward, as represente'd at7a, Fig. 7, may be employed. Should any air escape by pressure on theairchamber f, when this pressure is removed the said air-chamber fexpands to its normal shape, drawing in air at thevalve 78.

The valve 7r, Fig. 7, and the construction and appliances hereinbeforedescribed for introducing compressed air into the chambers e and f maybe dispensed with, as by making the walls of the closed chambers of thegrip of sufficient thickness any required resistance to compression bythe hand may be obtained and the restoration of the grip to its normalfigure on the relaxation of the pressure of the hand effected.

The new or improved non-vibratory handles or grips described andillustrated may be applied to the steering-handle bars and brake-leversand other handles or handgripped parts of ivelocipedes generally, and

also to the holding-handles of carriages, such as bath-chairs andperambulators.

In the manufacture of the elastic compressible hollow handle the innerwall is formed from a tube of unvulcanized rubber, and the outer wall isbuilt up, making the joints at the ends by pieces of canvas, and leavinga cavity between the tube and outer wall. Thecavity before being closedis supplied with a quantity of Water or any fluicl that will expand whenheated, and the whole is then vulcanized in a mold. The hollow handle issubsequently infiated, which is preferably effected by an instrumentmade to pierce the outer wall of the handle for working up anair-pressure iherein. Then the air-forcing instrument is withdrawn, thehole made thereby closes and makes a tight joint.

I-Iaving now particularly descrbed and ascertained the nature of myinvention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I deelarethat I claim as my inven- 'Lion-- 1. A hollow, elastic, and compressible indiarubber handle or grip for a bicycle or other vehicle,having an air-chamber containing confined air to form an air-cushion,said air serving to restore the handle or grip to its normal bulgedcondition after being compressed by the hand and then released,substantially as described.

2. A hollow, elastic, and comprcssible indiarubber handle or grip for abicycle or other vehicle, having an air-chamber and an airinlet openingfor ntlating the handle or grip, so that the confined air forms acushion and serves to restore the handle or grip to its normal bulgedcondition after being compressed by the hand and then released,substantially as described.

I'IENRY lVATERSON. [L. s]

Witnesses:

RICHARD SKERRETT, ARTHUR J. POWELL.

IOO

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